


Mum's the word

by Petra LeMaitre (Petra)



Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-24
Updated: 2008-12-24
Packaged: 2018-01-25 09:06:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1643150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Petra/pseuds/Petra%20LeMaitre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ivan would like Byerly to keep a secret from Alys for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mum's the word

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to jen athene for a quick beta read.
> 
> Written for astolat.

 

 

"Oh -- no." Ivan put his hand over his eyes to block out the light. Hangovers were bad. Hangovers with company were much worse.

He could hear Byerly's smug smile. "Good morning, sunshine."

Ivan shifted and winced again at the absolute certainty that he was naked. "I don't suppose you'd go away if I asked nicely."

"Not for anything you could offer me." By patted his shoulder and moved to kiss his cheek. His cheek! "But if you'll do me a favor, I won't tell your mother."

The image of Alys Vorpatril's face faced with an only son who was -- well -- Ivan couldn't face that thought before he was dressed. "What?" he asked, pitching his voice low so as not to make his head hurt worse.

By chuckled, his town clown drawl expanding to ridiculous proportions. "Come drinking with me again in three days."

"I don't make the same mistake twice that quickly." Ivan put his head under the pillow.

"No?" That was By's hand on his chest -- his stomach -- feeling knowledgeable and familiar on a body level that had nothing to do with conscious memories. Ivan caught his wrist and took a deep breath.

"Give me a week." He could forget more of it by then, and put some kind of limit on his account so he wouldn't drink this much, wouldn't be here.

"On one condition." By's drawl sharpened to a much more intelligent tone of voice.

Ivan looked at him from under the pillow. "What?"

By's smile made Ivan want to punch him, but also -- "Clean your teeth and kiss me before I go."

The words brought back a sense memory so strong made Ivan want to smother himself with the cushion to make it go away. Hard enough to be lying next to probably-naked By while Ivan wasn't looking or acting obviously interested. "Fine," he ground out. "But no tongue."

"You're no fun, darling." The bed shifted as By got up.

Ivan groaned and kept himself effectively blindfolded. The less he knew about what they'd done, and what potential marks he might or might not have left on By, the happier he'd be.

Though the thought of By with a little lovebite was -- no, no, no, and no.

He spent some minutes contemplating sewers, dead bodies, and anything else that was the opposite of attractive. Byerly should have qualified in that category, but apparently Ivan had slipped a gear somewhere, noticed something he shouldn't have noticed, and by the time By stopped rustling things, Ivan was nearly ready to ask for that drink in three days. He cleared his throat and asked in his most unpleasant morning voice, "Are you dressed?"

"Do you want me to be?" By asked, and Ivan beat his head against the mattress once before it became excruciatingly clear to him how stupid an idea that move had been.

"Yes."

By sighed. "Well, I am. But I'm waiting for that kiss."

Ivan wrapped the sheets around himself, feeling like a deflowered Vor maiden faced with her molester, and dressed quick as a cadet, keeping his eyes off of By. He could feel By's gaze anyway. "Do you make a habit of this?" Ivan asked as he went into the head.

"Of going home with handsome young things who throw themselves at me?"

"I didn't!" Ivan protested, though he didn't remember whether he had or not.

"No? My mistake." By leaned on the doorway and watched Ivan clean his teeth.

Ivan tried to avoid his eyes in the mirror. "I don't -- don't."

"Then you won't be meeting me in a week?" By straightened up.

Ivan rinsed his mouth. "I will." He glared at By. "But only so you keep it from my mother."

"Fair enough." By raised his eyebrows and waited.

Ivan steeled himself and kissed By. It felt much more like a plain old every day kiss from a girl than anything should, if maybe a little pricklier. Given how much Ivan liked kissing girls, as soon as he thought that it was all right, it was excellent, and he wanted more of it.

By didn't deal in half-measures, or so Ivan would've said, but just about when Ivan was finding it hard to breathe normally, By let him go.

By was a little flushed, too, which didn't excuse him for saying, "See you in a week," and smiling like he really meant it.

"Tonight?" Ivan asked.

That got a blink out of him. "I have another engagement, but -- tomorrow. If you insist."

Ivan mentally kicked himself for believing that By meant anything by any of it. "No -- in a week. If I don't run into you first."

By tossed him an easy ImpSec salute, teasing, and said, "Give my regards to your mother," as he turned to go.

"You're an ass," Ivan called after him, and told himself firmly that he wasn't going to find out where he could run into By any sooner than he had to.

"See you," By answered.

Ivan watched the door shut behind him and looked around the wreck of the room before he called his bank to put a limit on his damned account.

There was no point in getting so drunk he forgot the whole thing twice.

 


End file.
